"Ligado fails to plead any plausible facts to support its purely speculative claim that the Government has occupied its licensed spectrum," alleges the DoJ motion to dismiss the satellite communication firm's suit in US Federal Claims Court.
The US and its allies managed to block a move by China to open up the 6 GHz band Beijing uses for 5G mobile wireless communications to global use — a move that would have empowered Chinese telecom firms such as Huawei.
The month-long World Radiocommunications Conference in Dubai will decide whether to change how spectrum use is allocate among various users - including spectrum needed by DoD planes and ships operating abroad.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on March 5 sent a letter to Congress endorsing a plan for sharing the disputed 3.1-3.45 spectrum band — but also opening the possibility that DoD could vacate it entirely, according to the Congressional Research Service.
"And as weird as that sounds, you know, from an industry guy, I absolutely need regulation and enforcement," said Tory Bruno, CEO of rocket maker ULA. "Because one bad actor can ruin that entire common environment for all of us."
While DoD interested in the potential of satellite-to-wireless, government, military and industry officials speaking at Satellite 2023 recognized there also are a number of challenges for military operators.
The plan is for Space Systems Command's Commercial Satellite Communications Office to set up a contracting vehicle that allows military users to buy satellite-direct-to-cellular communications capability as a service, said Clare Grason, who heads that office.